Thanh Vinh 'awakens' after the pandemic

Business activity is gradually recovering.

Busy streets, cars parked all over the sidewalks, people gathering at restaurants and shopping malls… these are not uncommon sights in the cities.Vinh city streetsOver the past period, it can be seen that since the transition to the new normal after the pandemic, commercial and service activities in Vinh City have gradually returned to their usual hustle and bustle.

The streets of Vinh City are bustling at night, especially on weekends. Photo: Quang An

Putting aside a year of stagnant business, Mr. Hoang Anh Tuan, owner of a seafood restaurant on An Duong Vuong Street in Vinh City, decided to renovate and reinvest in his establishment to better serve his customers. Mr. Tuan shared: “Since reopening, the restaurant has been fortunate to receive the attention and support of diners, especially on weekends and holidays. This is also a motivation for us to strive for improvement and provide better service to our customers…”

Mr. Tuan's sentiment reflects the shared joy of businesses in Vinh City at this time. Mr. Le Khac Hau, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Thi Ward, stated: “While in 2021, many businesses and services in the ward had to temporarily cease operations or close due to bans or unprofitable business conditions, now most businesses on the streets have reopened, eliminating the previous situation of constant closures and kiosk transfers. In particular, rental prices on central streets are trending upwards due to the strong increase in demand for shopping, entertainment, and socializing.”

Business activity is bustling along the streets. Photo: Quang An

In April 2022, Vinh City officially launched its pedestrian zone, a highlight of the city's development after two years of road renovation and upgrading. After six months of operation, according to our reporter's observations, central business streets such as Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Tai, and Nguyen Trung Ngan have become "streets that never sleep" on weekends. Business activity is bustling and vibrant, with thousands of people participating in the pedestrian zone activities every evening, making it the busiest in the city.

Popular business types such as food, coffee, fashion, and cosmetics all experience a surge in sales every evening when the pedestrian street is open. The number of businesses registered on the pedestrian street is constantly increasing, especially during the initial phase when the city implemented supportive policies.

Not only on the streets, but business and trading activities in markets and shopping centers throughout the city have also become vibrant again. The entire city has 26 markets with approximately 12,000 small traders, the largest of which is Vinh Market with over 3,000 traders, followed by the wholesale market with 1,000 traders, and Vinh Train Station Market with 600 traders…

Mr. Nguyen Huu Dac, Head of the Vinh Market Management Board, said: “Previously, the business of small traders was constantly disrupted due to the pandemic, and the market had to temporarily close many times. However, since the beginning of the year, buying and selling activities have been continuous, and the collection of taxes and fees has also been smoother. Although the western section of the market had to temporarily cease operations due to storms in early October, traders have now overcome the difficulties and returned to normal business.”

Shopping malls are crowded with customers. Photo: Quang An

Since the beginning of the year, the trade and service sector in the city has continued to develop well, showing positive signs in many areas. Total retail sales of goods and service revenue reached 22,000 billion VND, a significant increase compared to the same period last year. Tourism activities were vibrant with nearly 2 million visitors, double the number compared to the same period last year, and revenue from tourism activities is estimated at 1,291 billion VND. Tourism infrastructure has developed strongly, especially hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and supermarkets; currently there are more than 200 tourist accommodation establishments, many of which are rated 3-5 stars.

The province has 28 shopping malls, mainly concentrated in Vinh City. Vinh City has many large supermarkets such as Lotte, Maximax, BigC, Mega Market, HC, Huong Giang, as well as electronics and motorcycle shops.

The bustling business activity also coincides with the increased appearance of smuggled and counterfeit goods on the market. Since the beginning of the year, the city has intensified inspections and enforcement actions against violations related to the trading of prohibited goods, substandard products, and commercial fraud. Authorities have inspected 346 establishments, processed 275 cases, imposed administrative fines totaling 227 million VND, seized goods worth 889 million VND, and collected over 15.7 billion VND in back taxes.

Over the past period, the city has also strengthened coordination with departments and agencies to ensure the supply and stabilization of the petroleum market, and intensified inspection and supervision of petroleum business activities in the area. To date, the supply of petroleum in the city is basically stable.

Businesses have maintained a stable customer base in the new situation. Photo: Quang An

Over the years, with the guidance and support of the Central Government and the province, Vinh City has been focusing on better exploiting its potential and advantages. Services in finance, banking, transportation, insurance, and information and communication continue to develop rapidly, with expanding networks, diverse service types, and improved service quality, meeting the needs of the people.

Continue to refine the models.

Although business in Vinh City has shown a clear recovery after the pandemic, some business models, despite significant investment, have not been truly effective. One such example is the Cao Thang night street. Despite numerous renovations and changes to its operating methods, the number of customers visiting Cao Thang night street has not increased.

Currently, nearly 100 kiosks registered for business in the night market are still operating at a reduced capacity, failing to achieve the expected results despite this being a well-invested night-time economy model in the city.

Cao Thang night street has not yet achieved the expected success. Photo: Quang An

Furthermore, the implementation of the food street project in the ancient citadel area of ​​Cua Nam ward, one of the highlights of Vinh city, is still behind schedule. The efforts to attract organizations, businesses, units, and individuals to invest in and operate in areas such as commerce, food, and entertainment in the areas around the regulating lake, Goong Lake, Cua Nam fish pond, the Lam River dike, and other areas where the city has advantages have not yet met expectations.

During the discussion, Mr. Tran Quang Lam, Vice Chairman of the Vinh City People's Committee, stated that in the coming time, the city will continue to direct and promote the development of trade and services in the area, especially the night economy. He requested relevant units and localities to propose solutions to maintain and develop Cao Thang night street; and to continue urging Cua Nam ward to finalize the Food Street Project linked to the development of trade, services, and tourism in the Cua Nam ward ancient citadel area for the period 2021-2025 for submission to competent authorities for approval. Regarding businesses, although there has been a recovery, violations of traffic safety, environmental hygiene, and urban order will still be handled according to regulations.

People's demand for entertainment and shopping has increased sharply after the pandemic. Photo: Quang An

“On a monthly basis, the city and wards/communes will organize forums to listen to feedback, difficulties, and shortcomings in the production, business, and service activities of enterprises and business establishments in order to advise on and coordinate solutions; at the same time, they will listen to the opinions of experts and businesses who have suggestions, ideas, and directions for the city's future development,” Mr. Tran Quang Lam emphasized.

The city's key tasks in the coming period will focus on attracting investment projects for high-quality tourist areas, entertainment complexes, cultural, artistic, and sports centers, and shopping areas; developing high-class accommodation facilities; developing resort tourism... expanding its administrative boundaries, and becoming a major coastal city of Vietnam.

Vinh City is vibrant at night. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Sach.